Which works great as long as you don't have fingernail clippers in your bag.

You blame the agent, but in reality the computer probably has a cut off time for checking bags. How about instead of ignoring the well known check in policies for flights, you do what everyone else did and just get there on time.

The guy at the check-in desk probably couldn't process you. The computer simply won't work after a certain amount of time. Nice dodge though.

Good work:)

@xtc46: Sometimes you just run late. Not everyone can be as perfect as I am sure you are. :)

One should hope that there was the ability for a minute's worth of leniency, or an offer of checking the baggage anyway instead of immediately wishing to reschedule OP.

Great, airline travel done by McDondalds breakfast rules...

@Froggmann:
So whats the cut off, a hour, two?

If it fit for carry-on, why in the heck were you going to check it in the first place?

Also, that 45 minute rule is annoying, and it CAN be waived, but you need to (a) get the right agent, and (b) get lucky, since they're really disinclined to do it.

@JustAGuy2: The OP never mentioned that his bag was fit for carry-on. The gangplank baggage drop is mostly for parents who need their strollers until they board, and drop it off at the gangplank because the size of it constitutes as checked baggage, not as carry-on.

@JustAGuy2: It wasn't necessarily fit for carry on, he simply brought the bag he would have checked in and had the crew stow it underneath at the plane.

I pass through security theater and make it to the gate just as they were doing final boarding call.

You got extremely lucky OP:

1) Your bag didn't contain anything naughty or trigger a (random or otherwise) individual search.
2) Your bag was appropriately carry-on sized.
3) Delta JFK Security must not have been nearly as hideous as the last time I flew out of there (you would have missed your flight).

I'd mark this off to Good Karma.

@mell & @CaffeinatedSquint: Strollers and wheelchairs, yes... but the one time I saw someone try to pass a Samsonite suitcase through the scanner they made him go back and check it citing it was "not a carry-on and must be checked".

This was at PDX airport too, if that counts for anything.

Wow. Yay consumerist! "I tried to break the rules I agreed to when I bought this ticket and all I got was this lame blog post?"

@MercuryPDX: That's really strange, because it's not really the TSA's job to enforce the carry-on regulations.

It's a careful balance of the Airline's policy, size and type of plane, and the way the stewardesses feel that day. I never, ever check my bags. My girlfriend and I carry on some of those big 50L hiking packs - usually no one minds.

@swalve: I browsed the Consumerist and all I got was this lame comment?

@mgyqmb: Just because nobody complains doesn't mean they don't mind. Ask a few travelers what they think of selfish people who fill up the overhead bins with oversized luggage -- because the rules only apply to the little people, I guess.

Be there 45min early??? I haven't heard that since before 9/11. The new rule is like 1.5 hours prior to your flight departure. Just get to the airport sooner you little whiner!

Yeah, you have to be careful with those delays, and its all about what mood the ticket/phone person is in. I went to a family members funeral, and calculated the dates wrong and had to change the return flight by one day. On top of the fact that Delta told me "No bereavement fares for domestic flights" the idiot, total "I could care less about you" person on the phone wanted to charge me an *extra* $500 (I paid $300 for the whole flight). So, moral of the story calculate your trip well, or else you're going to pay for it, and be one time.

BTW, I bought a one-way ticket with Continental for $200. GO CONTINENTAL!

Sometimes even when you do everything right, you get caught by this stuff. One time me and the GF were going on an international flight- first one out in the morning. We got there a little on the late side (cab didnt' show up and we had to call like 3 times to get one) but we were still well in advance of the check in limit. However because of the international flight we couldnt do curbside or kiosk check in. Everyone for the next couple hours of flights after ours was in line and it simply wasn't moving. Tried to talk to the kiosk agent and she said to wait. 30min later we flagged her again and pleaded with her to check us in a just as the check in limit was reached. She did so with and exasperated gasp (never mind NOBODY Was waiting at the kiosks) Left our bags and went on to see the security line extending a good 50yrds out of the stiles. Luckily a employee walked down the line and was calling people for our flight and we dodged to the front of the line. Made it on okay, but we tried to do everything right and still almost got screwed.

I don't think trying to cut it so close is a good idea. It's stupid that 1 minute matters, but they do have rules for a reason. Work on your time management issues and you'll be good to go.

Not being to check-in 44 minutes before a flight, as opposed to 45, is not really something I'd consider part of the rules I agreed to when I bought the ticket. It seems excessive, although I agree that the computer system is likely to blame, rather than an agent simply not wanting to check you in.

Skirting the issue by asking to have your suitcase added at the gangplank is a risky maneuver, indeed. If it passes through security, and is not flagged as too big for carry-on at that point (which, as MercuryPDX, does happen at some airports), then I guess you're probably fine. But lots of ifs come into play and your mileage may vary from airport to airport.

I find a 45 minute cut-off for checking in bags a bit excessive, in any case. I wonder if such measures have done any wonders for Delta's on-time departure rates.

I agree that one should get to the airport on time and early enough to avoid this type of situation but everyone has had the bad luck to hit excessive traffic or have a reserved cab come on time. It's not all about being lazy and not taking personal responsibility.

Get there early. What's with people that show up at the last second for everything in their lives? Then they expect everyone to solve their problem immediately.

(To clarify my post, I have never seen any kind of small print on my plane reservations saying "you can't check bags after such a time" -- and I scour those things every time, to make sure I'm aware of all i need to be aware of. So I wouldn't necessarily consider it a given that at with 44 minutes to go, I couldn't check bags.)

You have to check in your bag 45 minutes before the departure time of international flights (this includes flights to Canada) or 30 minutes before the departure time of domestic flights. Don't like this rule? Don't blame the airline - blame the government! Clearly TSA or Homeland Security or whomever has calculated these numbers as the mimimum amount of time needed to ensure that all checked luggage can be scanned before a plane's departure.

I first heard about this rule when I avoided missing the cutoff by 3 minutes because my Air Canada flight was actually being serviced by United and I had gone to the wrong terminal.

So XTC, if you'd had something that tripped you up and made you late for your flight, you would have said "Gee Delta agent, thank you for being inflexible with your rules. I'd *gladly* take the later flight, since I'm as little as one second too late for my bag to not make it onto the plane. Please rebook me. And charge me more for flagrantly disobeying your rules."

C'mon, the guy was a minute late. Airlines used to bend the rules all the time, making flying a less unpleasant experience.

Now if he were 10 mins before the flight, I'd say tough luck, but geez. One minute. Always remember, the rules are interpreted by thousands of workers differently. Just find another one. Someone will be a human and not a robot, just be sure to be courteous, yourself.

I believe the 45mins deadline is an airport requirement, not a requirement of the airline. The Delta was merely enforcing a requirement that JFK imposed upon them. See this page for evidence:

[www.delta.com]

If someone has some substantial information contradicting the above, please share.

BTW, I got to the above by Googling for "delta check in luggage" and reading the information and following relevant links. There was nothing particularly obscure or difficult to find. The lesson here is go to your airline web site before traveling to check what they luggage requirements are and check the requirements specific to the airports you are going to travel through.

If we have to be on time, shouldn't we expect the same from the airline?

sweet!

Are those people who show up late and demand special handling (here, deal with my carryon) the same ones who will complain when the flight is late out of the gate (maybe because the ground crew is still loading all those last minute bags)?

@CaffeinatedSquint:
@Mell:

1. It's a jetway, not a gangplank. This isn't a ship.
2. If it'll go through the x-ray machine, it's carry-on-able, or at least up to the flight attendants to stop you.

I only check if there's no room in the bins, and I board early to make sure there is.

When did we all just accept that flying must be a big hassle? Technology and money should have long ago meant showing up five minutes before takeoff and boarding an airplane. Instead, we have all come to accept overbooked flights, security lines, and other restrictions.

@xtc46: Hmm, last I checked this place is consumerist not disgruntled_inflexible_agenterist. No offense to all the agents working the check in counter at the airport, unless, of course, you are as unyielding as our friend above.

It's difficult to understand when people are so rigid with the seemingly arbitrary rules (at least when applied to the second) they enforce, esp. when it can really negatively affect the person in front of them.

I imagine that people like that are generally unsuccessful. Who would want to work with them, or hook them up in the future? What do you do xtc? jk. I'm sure you're a champ given your personality.

I can't decide which I hate more: airports or malls.

Thanks for the tip, which I can foresee using in the future.

I believe one minute is within a reasonable margin or error.

I would feel a little more sympathy if the rest of us didn't arrive at the airport more than an hour early just so that the plane won't be delayed more than it already is. If we had to wait for people to whine and cry about showing up late and then still get on, who knows when we would ever get on the plane.

@JayP71: I'm pretty sure the computer will work anyway if they decide to override it, since Delta has done that for me before after the "set" time has passed.

@mgyqmb:

My girlfriend and I carry on some of those big 50L hiking packs - usually no one minds.

Uh, just because nobody is up for getting in your face and telling you you're a jerk for hogging all the compartment space doesn't mean "no one minds."

They tell you ahead of time how early you have to be there. Figure drive time, traffic, parking and add a 15-30 minute buffer. It's no one's fault but your own, and Delta (as craptastic as they may be) doesn't owe you anything.

@ianmac47: Let's see.... they shut down the airports for a day or so... so how about 9/13/2001?

Although things got a little worse around 1/18/2002.

Or maybe we can go back further to 10/24/1978 and find something which may have looked great 20 years later, but eventually led us to where we are today.

@ianmac47: When we agreed to give up some of our freedom for a percieved (false) sense of security.

This happened to me once at O'Hare. I went to check my bag in at a self-check 40 minutes prior to the flight. I was denied. I can't really remember what I did. I either rebooked for a flight leaving 20 minutes later or I carried on. Either way, it was a quick fix. I took responsibility. I understand the need to have to set cutoff times for getting bags through security and on the plane.

I can't imagine how difficult it is to tell a New Yorker that the world doesn't revolve around them.

Next week on the Consumerist: "I didn't pay $100 in income tax and the IRS is mad! Can you BELIEVE it! They should cut me some slack!"

The ramp carts need to be somewhere other than waiting for bags after the cutoff.

@kantwait:

PERHAPS

Also, there's nothing in this post to suggest that a car wreck, stubbed toe, late Comcast installer or other act of God contributed to his lateness. I read this and think the guy figured he shouldn't have to wait.

Another story. My girlfriend had a flight out of DFW on AA early on Monday morning. We left in what should have been plenty of time to get to the airport. 1 hour early arrival time, 20 minutes to the airport, 15 minutes to park and get out of the car...7:30 flight..we left at 6:00 am.

Didn't foresee the traffic jam nor the ridiculous check in line. Was it AA's fault when she missed her flight? Nope. They were moving, from what I could tell, as fast as they could to get people checked in. So when we got there a little behind there simply wasn't enough time for her to make the flight.

We can debate the merits of the TSA, fluids and gels, baggage screening ad nauseam...but if the airline says 45 and you're there 44..too bad.